The Heirs of Death

2. The Black Fire

For a moment, my mind lapsed as those words sank, and something within me stirred. Something that was small but bright. Hope. It was a flicker of hope that bloomed in my heart. With no time to lose, I showed Ramos the page and watched as his eyes skimmed over the curved ink. ''I can only see it fit for Aragon's condition, but the question remains in how to cast this magic.''

"Perhaps we should write it on the King's skin like the ancient Elves used to do,'' proposed Leon, adding one to our endless possibilities.

Absentmindedly, I ran my fingers across the old and crumbling page, stroking the inked words. And what followed little did to surprise me; I had become too familiar with this. The moment my skin touched the ink, the words moved, separating themselves from the pages and floating in the air. Letter after letter and rune after rune, the spell glided through the air until it reached my hand, the words merging with my skin.

Once all the charm marked my flesh, the pages fluttered before new words appeared.

''Beware the black fire,
for it is a siege to peril and dire.

Dark mist rules with foam,
a weapon that shall hit straight home.

Only his blood can be the breaker,
the sun forever remains the curse's slaughterer.

But sand trickles fast,
after the second ticking, the malison wins at last.''

"The final verse is a warning to hold dear. Once the magic settles in, two hours will be the timeline separating life from death.''

Siltheres' words had the time to expand in the air before a surge of power surged throughout my core, humming a chant in my blood. A chant that awoke a part of powers in my veins I never experienced before.

"Two hours." Ramos tilted his head back, leaning it on the head of his seat. "Aragon has only two hours left."

I didn't know how my legs moved and how my feet shifted, but I sprang out of the realm so fast my muscles almost snapped. The only thing I heard as I made it out and into the castle was the thud of the Book of Astazan fallin from my lap and on the ground. And the echo of Leon and Ramos's footsteps as they ran behind me.

I will not lose him. Not again.

I spurted in the massive hallways, whirling between the lefts and rights. My cloak and dress billowed at the speed I ran, not stopping once to take a breath or to think where to turn next. I had visited him after we came back from our journey so much I knew each and every alleyway that led to his room. Each single night, I would visit him, would lay next to him, would renew my promise as I held his hand before falling to sleep. Whenever I had the time, away from the studies Ramos made us continue or learning how to be an adequated ruler, I would spend it next to its idle frame.

But not anymore. Because no matter what it would cost me, and before the two hours would end, he would be here. No matter what, I would have him back.

I stopped in front of the wall leading to his room, standing straight, my glowing totem against the appearing sun on the stones. Magic against magic, the wall vanished and the familiar wooden door appeared. Swinging it open, I entered his sanctuary, my eyes falling on his sleeping physique. Each night, his state became worse. Each night, he would lose a bit more of his colors, looking on the threshold of death. But I would no longer enter this room to find him sick and asleep. I would no longer crave to know what it felt like to have a father. I would not allow myself to fail him, not after what he and Mother did for my safety.